The Impossible
by Lauren Rae
Summary: Jim Hawkins gets a few surprises only days before his graduation from the Intestellar Academy... Finished! Chapter 5 is UP!
1. Wake Up, Jimmy!

**Disclaimer:** Yeah, yeah Jim Hawkins isn't mine and neither is Treasure Planet. It all belongs to Disney, and blah blah blah. But Ale's mine, so… that's nice. ^^; And don't worry, Jim fangirls – there will be no JimxAle. He's still yours. *g* 

**Thanks to:** Havana for reading it first. And my very own "Ale" for being the cause of this insanity.

**Notes:** Yet another crazy spur of the moment story, inspired by Joe Nichol's "The Impossible." I was driven to write this for personal reasons, as I know that someone out there needed a story to help them along. As for everyone else, I make no promises, but I do hope you enjoy it. Feedback is always welcome. 

Allison, you're up. This one's for you, and you deserve it. 

**The Impossible**

********** Chapter One: Wake Up, Jimmy! **********

_"Daddy, I got an A on my homework!"_

_"That's nice, son."_

_"Daddy, look what I built! It's a ship!"_

_"It's just wood."_

_"Daddy, come play. I'm a fearless pirate, roaming the world for treasure! You can be my first-mate!"_

_"I have no time for games, son."_

_"Daddy, why can't you…"_

**BANG! BANG! BANG!**

"Jim Hawkins, are you in there?" a female voice called from somewhere.

"I'm… ahhhh!" The young man tumbled out of bed and landed on the floor with a thud. When he finally opened his eyes, he had to squint from the bright light that was streaming through his windows. What time was it anyway? Had he overslept? At nineteen years of age, Jim Hawkins was going into his last few days at the Interstellar Academy. He had been there for four years now, training to be a spacer for the Intergalactic Navy. He had come a long way in those four years. He'd arrived at the Academy only six months after he had discovered Flint's Trove on Treasure Planet – the loot of a thousand worlds. After almost single-handedly saved his shipmates from destruction, and for his fearlessness, Captain Amelia had immediately written a letter to the Academy when they arrived home. And now he was going to graduate. Though he had already made his mother proud, he felt as if he owed this to her. After all, he had been quite a nuisance during his early teen years. But Jim didn't like to dwell on the past anymore. Instead, he always attempted to look forward – at the future.

But he kept having those dreams… dreams that would draw him back to his past. Standing up slowly, Jim stretched his arms over his head. 

"Jim!" **BANG! He glanced at the door. He'd almost forgotten.**

"I'm coming, Ale, stop freaking out!" 

Jim opened the door to find a young woman standing before him, arms crossed and eyebrows raised. She was dressed in a blue uniform – one they wore for assemblies and such. 

"You're not even dressed?" she gaped. "What's going on? You're going to be late. Don't you remember what today is?" 

"Sort of. Not really," Jim sighed.

"Hell-o. How can you not remember? Ship assignments are today. Knock knock, dork. For such a smart guy, you sure are stupid sometimes."

"Can it, Ale. I'll be there."

Alexandra Harris – better known as Ale (never Alex) – was a human girl from the planet Tragder. She was of average height, with a slim frame. Her hair was dark brown and her eyes were piercing green, features that always seemed to stand out against her fair skin. She had a wicked sense of humor and a sharp wit – it rather reminded Jim of a certain feline Captain. But Ale was definitely her own person. They'd met during the first week of classes back when they were both fifteen. The seating had been in alphabetical order, and they just happened to be seated next to one another. How the two had become the best of friends was something that neither of them could figure out, and really didn't bother to try.

"All riiiiiight," she said, her voice dubious. "I'll save you a seat. But hurry up, ok? You know you can't be late for this."

"I know and I will."

Ale shook her head, leaving Jim standing at the door. Once back in his room, he sank down on his bed, head in hands. Another dream about his father. He had been having so many in the past few months, and they were all so confusing. He didn't understand why he was having these dreams either. His father was long gone, and Jim was about to graduate. What did it matter? On top of that, the dreams always interfered with his everyday life. Had Ale not banged on the door, Jim probably would've missed the assembly for Ship Assignments – one of the most important assemblies for Senior Cadets… besides for graduation, of course.

Ship Assignment Day was one that all cadets looked forward to from the time they stepped into the Academy. It was the day when they would find out if they had been chosen by high-ranked navy officials to be a part of their crew. Not many Cadets were hand chosen by the officials. Most were just assigned to ships after graduation. But if a cadet was lucky enough to catch an official's eye, it was an incredible honor. 

As Jim dressed, he wondered if going to the ceremony would even be worth his time. He knew that he really couldn't skip, as it was required for every Senior Cadet to attend. Though he was a decent student and maintained good grades, Jim wasn't sure that he'd be picked. In his eyes, he didn't even hold a candle to some of his classmates. He was just average Jim… average like the rest of the cadets. 

*****

To be continued? Yeeees… ^_^!


	2. Intrepid and Candor

Ch. 2 – Intrepid and Candor

Jim ran as fast as he could. Five minutes – he had just made it to the assembly hall in record time. Pausing to catch his breath, he looked around. A few cadets were still milling about outside, but most of them were already inside the large assembly room. Straightening his uniform, Jim entered the room, glancing around again.

"Hey Jim, over here!" he heard Ale call. He turned and saw her waving, pointing at the empty seat beside her.

Inwardly grateful, Jim made his way through the seats until he reached his friend.

"Had to fight off a few people to keep this seat. You're lucky," Ale grinned.

"Thanks. I didn't mean to sleep in. I was actually planning to get up this morning," Jim replied.

"Hold that thought," Ale rolled her eyes. "You're a mess." She motioned for him to face her and proceeded to straighten his collar for him and brush off the shoulders of his uniform.

"Thanks," he muttered.

Without batting an eye, Ale moved on to the next subject. "So if you didn't mean to sleep in… why did you? Forget to set the alarm?"

"Nah, I think I turned it off, mother. But I'm here now aren't I? So really, it's nothing."

"Uh-huh. I'm sure."

Ale faced forward, crossing one leg over the other. Jim watched her sit in silence, knowing what was going to happen next. Though he had really grown up over the past few years, Jim was still rather aloof, as he had been when he was younger. He would often downplay his thoughts and feelings, keeping them to himself. It was something that just… happened. That is, until Ale could pry his words from him. For some reason, she almost always could. Especially when she did that "sitting in silence" act that usually provoked a response from him – mostly because he had no idea as to what she was thinking, and was curious to know.

"All right, all right. Stop the silence thing, Ale. I had another dream."

"You mean, about your father?" Ale's eyes widened and she faced him again. Jim had told her all he remembered of his father, a sad story from the past. And though he said he had moved on, Ale had a feeling that he still wanted closure. Closure that he was unable to obtain. 

"Yeah. It was a short one. Only lasted a few minutes I think. I still have no idea why I keep having these stupid dreams."

"Maybe it's a premonition. Maybe they're trying to tell you something."

"Ale, you know that stuff isn't true. Premonitions? Come on! That's just myths and stories," Jim sighed.

"Well, of all people I thought that you were the one who was open-minded to all things. What about Flint's Trove? Everything thought that was a story too, but you found it. Anything's possible, Jim. Even the impossible." 

Jim shrugged. She might've been right, but it was hard for him to believe it. After all of those years, how could he believe it? Especially since he'd had dreams about his father's return… ever since the day he left. Of course the dreams came and went, but he still had them. And they were always one of two things: his father ignoring him or his father returning. 

Suddenly a man appeared on the stage at the front of the room, and everyone fell silent. The students rose to their feet, saluted sharply, and then stood at ease. The man before them was Admiral Rancour – the head of the Interstellar Academy. He was a man of the shark species, always to be treated with the utmost respect. He rarely appeared in front of the cadets; only at rare special occasions, such as this. And even now he had a dominating presence – the room was so silent that even the slightest change in breathing could be heard. 

Jim silently hoped that his stomach wouldn't growl or something silly like that. He hadn't eaten, as a result of oversleeping, and was beginning to feel the effects of that. It would be quite embarrassing for something – such as his stomach growling – to happen in front of the Admiral. 

"Senior Cadets," Rancour began, eyeing the sea of blue uniforms before him. "You have been training for four years now. Soon you will be part of a crew in this, the Interstellar Navy. You will be set with the responsibility of protecting the Etherium, the responsibility of coming to the aid of her royal majesty, the Queen, and her subjects. I know that you are anticipating what ships you will be assigned to, and some of you will be finding that out within the next few hours. This assembly for the Ship Assignments, is a tradition that started only a few years after the Academy opened. Those that are chosen by the Captains shall acknowledge this honor, but remain humble about it. My cadets are not show-offs…"

Jim could almost picture Ale laughing inside. He was. They all knew that the cadets tried to upstage each other at every opportunity possible. And Jim had beaten everyone when it came to solar surfing… but found himself just "average" at everything else. He blinked twice and his attention was back on the Admiral.

"…and so without further adieu, I present to you the Captains of thirty of our finest ships." A curtain behind the Admiral was drawn open, revealing thirty Captains of different species, all on their feet, dressed in crisp white uniforms. The cadets saluted in proper protocol. 

Once the Captains saluted back, they were able to be seated and the ceremony could begin. It was interesting at first, to see his classmates receive the honor of being picked by a Captain, but soon Jim grew restless. The ceremony was becoming tedious… boring. He shifted slowly in his seat, trying to keep the feeling in his legs. But then…

"Captain Francis of the RLS Intrepid requests that Cadet Alexandra Harris become part of his crew." 

Jim's eyes widened and he glanced beside him. Ale was sitting still, as if she were frozen in time. She barely blinked as the moment seemed to turn into forever. Finally Jim tapped her on the shoulder, breaking her from her daze.

"Ale, you're up." 

"Oh God," she whispered and stood slowly. Then, regaining her composure she walked up to the stage, her confidence renewed. Jim watched as his friend saluted the Admiral and her new Captain. He watched as she received the certificate confirming her acceptance to the RLS Intrepid's crew. Ale deserved it, really. Jim had watched her work so hard over the years. She had always put in the extra effort to make sure that she came out on top of things. After all, although the Academy was equal-opportunity, there were still more men than women. Jim knew that Ale felt as if she had to prove herself all along. And now she had. 

Ale descended the steps and walked quickly back to her seat, certificate in hand. She sat, still contemplating all that had just occurred. It wasn't until the next cadet was called that she finally turned to Jim, a small smile on her face.

"I thought I was going to faint," she admitted. "I never thought…"

"You know you deserved it," he replied. 

The ceremony dragged on. Jim knew that the feeling in his lower body was lost. He began to slouch, and his legs were practically on pins and needles. He glanced at his watch. The ceremony was bound to be over soon… then he would grab something to eat and perhaps take a nice long nap…

"Captain Kettes of the RLS Candor requests that Cadet James Hawkins become part of his crew." 

Jim sat straight up. Had the Admiral really just called his name? Yes, he most definitely had. Ale nudged him in the ribs.

"And now you're up," she whispered. 

Jim rose, his head spinning with excitement and giddiness… and sheer disbelief. Suddenly he lost his footing, as his legs were asleep. He felt his body pitch forward. No… this couldn't be happening now. His moment of glory – about to be ruined by his clumsiness. But he didn't hit the floor. Ale had stood up and caught him, breaking the fall. After helping him regain his footing, she quickly saluted him and cleared her throat.

"I'm so sorry, Cadet Hawkins. I didn't mean to trip you. It was lazy of me to have my foot in the aisle. Are you all right?" she raised a knowing eyebrow at him.

He saluted her back, feeling life return to his legs. "I accept your apology, Cadet Harris. All is forgiven." She nodded and sat back down, as he walked to the stage to accept his certificate. 

Jim was on cloud nine when he shook Captain Kettes' hand. The Captain was of the felinoid species – the same as Captain Amelia. He was shorter than most of his kind, as Jim remembered reading that those of the felinoid species were supposed to be tall. But Captain Kettes looked like a strong, respectable man, who would expect hard work and dedication from the fledgling cadet that he had just invited to join his crew. In the back of his mind, Jim almost wondered why he was always stuck with the feline captains. In all honesty, he didn't mind. This was the honor that he had been waiting for, though he never expected that he would actually be on of the cadets to cross the stage on Ship Assignment Day. The moment flew by like a whirlwind and before Jim knew it, the entire ceremony had ended. 

He stood from his seat, still amazed at the honor he held in his hand. Clean and crisp, with the insignia of the Navy embossed on it. Calligraphy… stating that he, Jim Hawkins, was now a part of the crew of the RLS Candor. All of it encased in a leather folder. He could hardly believe it. Once out of the assembly hall, he turned to Ale and grabbed her into a huge hug. Both of their excitement spilled out simultaneously.

"We did it. I can't believe we did it," he exclaimed over and over.

"I always knew that you could," she said.

"Oh yeah, and uh… thanks for saving my ass back there."

"You'd do the same for me, I'm sure," she laughed.

"Hey why don't we catch a ship to Felis and celebrate or something? I'm starving!"

"I'm up for it. Let's get out of here!" 

Jim was still grinning from ear to ear, but suddenly his mind went blank for a moment… that, like his near-embarrassing moment – seemed to last forever …

_"Daddy, I just became a part of the crew of the RLS Candor!"_

_"Son, it's just a piece of paper…"_

*****

You think it's over? No way - it's only beginning. And it's gonna get good… Stay tuned for Chapter 3! ^_^


	3. Revelation

Ch. 3 – Revelation

Soon the two boarded a passenger ship in order to get to Felis, the next planet over. Felis was known for its exemplary food, and Jim and Ale were more than ready for a good meal. They figured that they could splurge a little, in celebration of both of them receiving crew assignments.

With leather folders still in hand, Jim and Ale scoured the ship for a place to sit. Finally Ale noted an older man sitting alone toward the back, and they decided to see if the seats beside him were free.

"Excuse me, sir?" she asked. 

The man, who had been staring out the window, looked up at her. His eyes were a light shade of blue, and looked rather weary and sad as they glanced from Ale to Jim… and then back to Ale. 

"Is anybody sitting in these seats?" she finished.

The man shook his head and remained silent.

"Well, may we sit here?" Ale spoke up.

"Sure," the man replied in a raspy voice, and then returned to staring out the window.

Ale and Jim took the two seats next to the man. Jim couldn't help but be fascinated by this gentleman, for he could not tell his age. He looked sad and sounded sick, but he had a beard and almost a full head of light brown hair, with only a few gray streaks. But his hands, as Jim noticed, were scarred. He looked worn… as if time was just eating away at him.

"I forgot to call my parents," Ale suddenly remarked. "I was just so shocked about this that I completely forgot."

"Yeah, my mom will be thrilled," Jim said. "And I'm sure Amelia and the Doc will be too. And the kids B.E.N…" he sighed, wishing that his father could be there to be proud of him too. "We can call them when we get to Felis. I really do wish that my father could see this. Then again, he probably wouldn't care."

"I have this strange feeling that he would be proud of you. I don't know why, but it's a gut feeling."

"But he was never there…"

"And you should never underestimate the impossible. It could happen!"

They fell silent. Jim inwardly rolled his eyes. This was one thing that Ale could never understand…

"Sir, are you also going to Felis?" Ale turned to the man, breaking the silence. He looked over at her with piercing eyes. "I'm sorry," she quickly said. "I'm out of my place. I didn't mean to be rude." 

"No," the man finally spoke. "I'm just being rude. No, young lady, I'm not going to Felis." 

The ship began to pull away from the Academy stop.

"Well then, where are you headed?" Jim asked.

"Anywhere the wind takes me, son. I've been traveling around for a while now." He looked back out the window at Interstellar Academy. "You two're from that place, I presume. Wearin' outfits like that…"

"Yes, sir," Jim answered. "We're Senior Cadets, and graduating this coming weekend."

"That's an honor. Protecting the citizens of the Etherium with your lives… I once thought of being a cadet in the Navy. But that was a long time ago."

"I'm sorry if this is prying, sir, but what stopped you?" Ale cut in. Jim was just as curious to know as well. 

"Well, missy, life happened," his eyes grew distant.

"Life happened?" the two cadets said simultaneously and looked at one another before looking back at the man once again. 

"You know… I got married, went to work, had a kid. Had responsibilities that didn't allow me to be what I truly wanted to be. It's hard to be a father when your heart isn't in it." 

"Well then, why did you have a child if you weren't ready for one?" Jim asked.

"Life happens." 

"But that's just not fair to the child, sir. My father left when I was a boy and I don't think my mom and I have recovered yet. And it's been years. Our family was turned upside down because of it!"

"I'm sorry to hear that, but sometimes a man just can't bear the responsibility of being a father."

"So you left your family… to do what? And what happened?" Ale interjected.

"I left my family to travel the Etherium. To learn about myself. I wanted to return to them, but I couldn't bring myself to. I felt so ashamed for treating them how I had, but I was too much of a coward to go back. So I tried to move forward. I went from one meaningless job to another, trying to fill the gap in my heart that was my family. I never realized how good things were… until they weren't. So now I'm traveling the Etherium once again, looking for a new job and a new purpose. You youngsters don't know how hard it is. I was like you once, with the entire Etherium at my fingertips…"

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but would you guys excuse me? Nature calls," Ale stood. "Sorry, I'll be back!"

The man watched her go before focusing on Jim again.

He shrugged, "We were just in a ceremony for the past few hours. It was Ship Assignment Day at the Interstellar Academy. When you gotta go… you gotta go, I guess."

The man nodded. "I get it. You look like you've got a lot of potential in you, son. I've heard of this so-called Ship Assignment Day. It's a real honor, isn't it?"

"Yes, sir."

"And I'm assuming that you and your friends received assignments, from the looks of those folders."

"We're not supposed to talk much about it, but I am to be part of the crew of the RLS Candor. I didn't think it would happen, but it did. And now I can't wait to graduate and get out there!"

"Patience, son. It's not always best to jump into things, you know. May I see your folder?"

"Of course!" Jim handed the folder to the man, and watched as he opened it carefully. The man's expression changed from soft to cold and then back to soft again as he gingerly traced the letters on the certificate with callused fingers. Then he reached into his pocket and drew from it a worn piece of paper… an old photograph.

"James Hawkins, part of the crew of the RLS Candor… Congratulations, son." The man looked up at him and winked.

Son… SON?

Then Jim saw the photo.

It couldn't be…

Suddenly everything fell into place and it all began to made sense.

_"Daddy, I've finally found you…" _

*****

And the plot thickens! But what will happen to our braaaaaave heroes? (wait, wrong story) Hehe – stay tuned for Chapter 4!


	4. Life Happens

Chapter Four - Life Happens

Jim couldn't contain his emotion as he leapt from his seat. "You're… you're… my father! Your name is Leland Hawkins, isn't it?" 

The older man could do nothing but nod as he stared into the eyes of the young man before him… his son that he had left behind so many years ago. 

Jim ran a hand through his hair, thoughts racing through his mind as his emotions reeled. He didn't know what to think. Should he laugh or cry? Should his pummel the man before him for all the pain he had caused over the years or should he just let it go? No, a cadet of the Interstellar Navy had no right to harm a civilian. Still… his heart was pounding. Without knowing what to do, Jim began to shake. 

Leland set the folder down on the seat beside him and rose. Placing a hand on Jim's shoulder, he sat him back down. 

"Calm yourself, son." 

"Son… don't call me son," Jim gasped. Then his eyes darkened as he glared at his father. "I waited for you to come back for so long. Night after night I would be kept awake by mom's crying. Night after night I wondered what had gone wrong. Why did you leave us, father? Didn't you love us?" 

"Of course I loved you. I…" 

"All my life all I wanted was to make you proud of me. I wanted you to be my father… my friend. I wanted to do all the things that kids did with their fathers – build things, play pirates, and just have fun. But you never let me in. And you shut mom out. You ruined our lives for so long. And now, when I've finally begun to get my life back, you just wander back into the picture? No." 

"Jim, I am not asking for your forgiveness. This is just as much of a shock to me as it is to you. Did you honestly expect that we'd ever see each other again? I was too much of a coward to face your mother after all of the things I said to her. I didn't know how to be your friend… or your father. I was selfish, Jim, and I still am. If we hadn't met like this, I would have continued wandering around in my worthless existence!"

"Well you're going to have to continue wandering. Just because we found each other does not mean that things are forgiven, or even forgotten. No, father, I can't erase the pain from my childhood." 

"You know," Leland changed the subject, "Though I didn't bond with you, I had some sort of deep-seeded feeling that you were going to be something special." 

"How would you know?" Jim growled. "You were never there. You hardly ever helped mom around the house. You never acknowledged my achievements. You were never there – don't you understand that?" 

"Did it ever occur to you," Leland snapped back, "That I realize now how much I wronged you and your mother? And that I know that anything I do will never bring back what you've lost? But do you realize just how much I've lost too? I lost the chance to be a husband and a father. I can't bring myself to remarry and hurt someone again. I've lost the will to get a decent job. The fire to push myself to great heights. Do you know how far I've fallen?" 

"But, I…" 

"Unlike you, I have no future left, but to wander the Etherium as a loser. I have nothing left but to repent the wrongs that I've committed. You, on the other hand, are about to become a great spacer in the Interstellar Navy. The one thing that I once dreamed of too." 

"Mom never mentioned that…" 

"Because I set my dreams on the back burner when we married. I was blinded by love then, but soon realized how hard commitment could be. And it got the best of me." 

"And you destroyed two lives in the process." 

"And I regret that I did. I'm sorry, Jim. Truly, I am." 

"Apology not accepted," Jim glowered. 

Leland sat back in his chair and crossed his arms. He was defeated, and he knew it. There was nothing he could do to win his son over. And there never would be. Once again he began to stare out the window, as if looking for his lost life. 

"I didn't expect it to be," he said, as Jim rose and walked away. "I didn't expect it at all." 

"Daddy, I think this is good-bye…" 

***** 

To be continued, of course! Stick around for chapter 5. ^_^


	5. Closure

********** Chapter Five: Closure********** 

Ale returned from the restroom to find the seats next to the man empty. The folders with the certificates were gone as well. Her eyes darted from left to right. 

"Um, sir, where did the guy I was with go?" 

Leland smiled at the young woman, his expression almost as if a burden had been lifted from his shoulders. There was a look in his eyes that Ale hadn't seen before. "He went to the front of the ship, for a bit of fresh air, I think." 

"Ok, thanks. I guess I'll go join him. It was nice talking to you though." she turned to walk away. 

"Likewise, and miss?" 

Ale looked over her shoulder at the man with expecting eyes. 

"Won't you please look out for that young man and his family? They need good people who will always care about them and who will always be there for them. I think you're one of those people." 

Ale raised an eyebrow, not knowing what to make of this statement, but she finally nodded. "I will, sir. Good-bye." She left him, still confused, and went to the front of the ship to find Jim. 

Jim, in turn, had found some new seats, as far away from his father as possible. He was still going over all that had just occurred. He had finally found his father… falling apart. Not the great man that Jim remembered as a child, Leland had been reduced to a spineless nothing. In keeping with this thought, Jim also remembered that Ale spoke of karma often. What goes around comes around, and in this case, it certainly proved true. 

"There you are," Ale interrupted his thoughts. "Why'd you decide to move up here? I thought that guy was fascinating, personally. A gentleman under a rough exterior…" 

"The _gentleman_ and I had a sort of a disagreement. Besides, we're almost at Felis, and I figured we'd get off quicker if we were closer to the front." 

Ale raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "A disagreement? About what?" 

"We had a conflicting interesting in the understanding that 'life happens' – so to speak." 

"Ah-haaaaa…" Ale leaned back in her chair. "I can already tell that you're not going to be willing to talk about this one for a while. So let me ask you one more thing. Is the conflict resolved?" 

"I think it is, Ale. I really do… The man deserved what he got. Part of me feels a twinge of remorse for him, but the other part is pretty indifferent." 

"I see…" 

The remainder of the trip was spent in silence, both cadets reflecting on the events of the day so far. Ale was still mulling over her ship assignment and part of her still wondered and worried about her friend. Jim, on the other hand, could not get his father out of his head. But by the time the announcement came over the speaker "Arriving at the Felis dock," Jim had decided to put the issue to rest. Perhaps it was truly time for him to move on… 

"We're finally here," Ale said, as they began to leave the ship. "I can't wait to call home. And eat… I'm starving! We've got to get the best platter of food from the best restaurant on this planet! This is a day to celebrate!" 

"You have no idea," Jim muttered under his breath. 

"Hm?" 

"Yeah, I'm starving too!" 

When Jim's feet landed on the solid platform of the dock, he turned and looked back. An older man stood at the door. His eyes were light blue and sad, but somewhat longing. How Leland longed to give his son a hug and have everything be forgiven. But it was not meant to be. Instead he looked out at the two cadets and saluted them. And then he called out, one last time: 

"Good luck to you, Jim Hawkins! You'll make a fine spacer!" 

"How would you know?" he shouted back at the man as the ship began to pull away from the Felis dock. "You were never there!" 

"A father knows these things! You're going to make a real name for yourself! And I'm proud of you, son. I just want you to know that I'll always be proud of you!" Leland shouted back. 

"A father knows these things?" Ale repeated, and looked at Jim, eyes wide with shock. "I knew you were keeping something from me!" 

"Yes, Ale. That was… my father. And he's proud of me… What goes around really does come around. You were right – never underestimate the impossible." 

Just like that… he was gone. Out of his life once again. But this time Jim didn't wish for him to come back. In fact, it was probably better that his father's soul remained free. Why? Because Leland was now doomed to a life of regret. And for a reason that he himself couldn't explain, Jim was free from the chains that had bound him to the past for so long. 

And Ale felt it too. Jim had found his closure… and was finally able to embrace it with open arms. 

__

Unsinkable ships sink   
Unbreakable walls break   
Sometimes the things you think would never happen   
Happen just like that   
Unbendable steel bends   
If the fury of the wind is unstoppable   
I've learned to never underestimate   
The impossible… 

Joe Nichols "The Impossible" 

End.

*****

Thank you to everybody who read and reviewed. Till next time… ^_^


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